History of the Political Parties of China

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The history of the political parties in China began at the end of the 19th century and has produced over 500 parties in various systems up to the present day.

Qing Dynasty parties

The framework conditions for the emergence of Chinese parties lay on the one hand in the Manchurian foreign rule of the Qing Dynasty , which was unable to reform and ruled China since 1644, and on the other hand in the weakening of China by imperialist powers as a result of the Opium Wars . The resulting decline of China could not be stopped by a self- strengthening movement , especially after the First Sino-Japanese War in 1894 and 1895 resulted in territorial losses of Taiwan and parts of Manchuria , but had to be stopped by resolute reforms. Significant among numerous opposition parties was the Revolutionary Republican Xingzhonghui , Society for the Resurrection of China, which was founded in 1894 and which merged with the Huaxinghui , Society for the Resurgence of the Chinese Nation, and the Guangfuhui , Society of Resurgence , 1905 Tongmenghui , United League of China (or in another translation: League of the Revolutionary Alliance) developed. Both Xingzhonghui and Tongmenghui had Sun Yat-sen as the founder and ideological spiritus rector. After the failure of the Hundred-Day Reform , Kang Youwei , the escaped advisor to the "reform emperor " Guangxu , who was now under house arrest, founded the monarchist Baohuanghui , Society for the Protection of the Emperor, in exile in Canada in 1899 . The aim of that party was the re-establishment of the emperor and the disempowerment of anti-reform forces at the Qing court. The reforms should include the establishment of a constitutional, parliamentary monarchy. With the victory of the Tongmenghui in the Xinhai Revolution , the monarchist parties disappeared. A total of ten parties emerged in the Qing Dynasty.

Parties of the Republic of China 1912 to 1928

After the founding of the Republic of China in 1912, the first elections were held in the provinces where the Tongmenghui became the strongest force. The decision of the last chancellor of the imperial government, Yuan Shikai , to induce the widow of the empress Longyu to abdicate the childhood emperor Puyi , cleared the way for the end of the monarchy. However, this was on the condition that Yuan should become President of the Republic of China in place of Sun Yat-sen . Before the national parliamentary elections in 1913, the Tongmenghui changed its name to Zhongguo Guomindang (in the old spelling “Kuomintang”, KMT), the national party of China, in order to open up to larger constituencies who had not previously supported the revolutionaries. In fact, the Guomindang had the majority of parliamentarians with 123 out of 274 seats in the Senate and 269 out of 696 seats in the House of Representatives. The Yuan-supported Minzhudang, 民主黨 Democratic Party, which emerged from Baohuanghui , only had eight and 16 seats respectively. Immediately after the election results were announced, Yuan Shikai had Guomindang's top candidate, Song Jiaoren , murdered and his party smashed. Sun Yat-sen had to flee abroad with numerous party friends and reorganize the party there. At times the party called itself Zhongguo Gemingdang, China's Revolutionary Party. After Yuan's death, who had been proclaimed emperor shortly before, but resigned again under pressure from the generals, the Republic of China fell into territories of individual warring military rulers.

Warlord Duan Qirui held parliamentary elections in his territory in 1918 and supported the candidates of the Anhui Association , which competed under the party name Anfu Julebu , Association for Peace and Happiness, and against other two parties, the Jiaotongxi , communication group, and the Zhengjiuxi , Political research group, prevailed. The Guomindang , led by Sun Yat-sen , tried in the meantime to become a stable political factor again and formed an alliance with the Soviet Union, which supplied them with weapons. Under the leadership of their general Chiang Kai-shek, it was possible to set up a military academy and develop its own armed forces. Soviet advisors supported the establishment of the Chinese Communist Party , whose members could enjoy dual membership in the Guomindang. Because the communists had carried out bloody riots, conflicts broke out with her after Sun's death. The Guomindang leadership expelled Communist Party members from the party, while the Soviets were expelled from the ruled area. However, different power groups also developed within the Guomindang. A total of 21 parties emerged in the Republic of China between 1912 and 1928.

Parties of the Republic of China from 1928 to 1949

After the extensive unification of China on the mainland under Chiang Kai-shek , the Guomindang became the dominant party and the Three Principles of the People became the state ideology. Another important party was the opposition National Socialist Party of China , which was strongly oriented towards German social democracy. During this period, only a few years of stability and recovery remained, because both the Chinese Communist Party and the Japanese invasion prevented development into a constitutional state until the post-war period. Nevertheless, during the war it was possible for Guomindang, KP and other parties to cooperate for a time and to enact an abundance of laws through a war parliament. After the end of the Second World War and Taiwan's retrocession , the reconstruction of China could be carried out, including the re-establishment of state institutions. In this context, long overdue measures for democratization and legitimation had to be carried out. The Social Democrat Zhang Junmai , whose National Socialist Party of China had renamed itself the Social Democratic Party of China in the face of the German NSDAP, was in charge of drafting the constitution of the Republic of China . In the following elections in 1947, the Social Democratic Party of China and the Young China Party took part in addition to the Guomindang , while the CP and its related parties boycotted the elections or obstructed them. After the constitution of the National Assembly , the latter parties that were already engaged in a civil war with the Republic of China were banned. In addition, the National Assembly imposed special constitutional laws “for the period of the communist rebellion”, which prohibited the founding of parties. In fact, only the Guomindang, the Social Democratic Party and the Young China Party continued to exist as legal parties. A total of 18 parties were founded in the Republic of China between 1928 and 1949.

Parties of the Republic of China to Taiwan from 1950 to 1986

After the communist revolution and the loss of mainland China, i.e. most of its territory, in 1949/50, the Republic of China is limited to Taiwan and other small islands. The dominant Guomindang under President Chiang Kai-shek shared power with the Chinese Social Democratic Party and the Young China Party , but did not allow any new parties due to the special laws mentioned. A Minzhudang, Democratic Party established in Taiwan, was immediately banned. Within the Guomindang a Taiwanization of the members took place from 1950, although leading positions were mostly occupied by mainlanders. After Chiang Kaishek's death, a "soft dictatorship" began under Chiang Ching-kuo , who initiated complete democratization in 1986 after the opposition Minzhu Jinbudang , the Democratic Progressive Party, had been founded.

Parties of the Republic of China to Taiwan from 1986

After the re-democratization of the Republic of China on Taiwan by abolishing the constitution limiting special laws remained the Guomindang , Nationalist Party, until 2000 the largest party and put the Zentralregierung.Die 1986 founded Minzhu Jinbudang , Democratic Progressive Party, was in 2000 with Chen Shui-bian a Presidents. Between 2008, the Guomindang nominee Ma Ying-jeou took over the presidency and held it for two terms until 2016. In 2016, Tsai Ing-wen, a woman, took over the presidency for the first time and was re-elected in 2020. Like Chen, she was a member of the Minzhu Jinbudang . Taiwan's politics is strongly influenced by the polarization between the “blue” block around the Guomindang and the “green” one around the Minzhu Jinbudang. Outside the two dominant parties, more than 350 other parties were founded between 1986 and 2018. Since the Political Parties Act came into force in November 2018, their number has been reduced through regulations.

Parties of the People's Republic of China from 1949

The political system of the People's Republic of China is shaped and privileged by the Chinese Communist Party . In addition, the so-called eight democratic parties and groups exist as relatively uninfluential, ideologically and pragmatically oriented organizations that are ideologically and pragmatically oriented towards the Communist Party of China . You are part of the political elite and are not an opposition.

In addition, there are at least 34 underground and exile parties that the Chinese authorities have classified as “illegal” and that the Chinese government is taking tough action against. These also include ethnic minority parties such as the Tibetans.

Hong Kong and Macau parties

The two entities, now part of the People's Republic, Hong Kong and Macau, were British and Portuguese colonies until 1997 and 1999, respectively. After the incorporation of Hong Kong and Macau into the state association of the People's Republic of China, the citizens' rights of the residents are limited. Opposition parties remained untouched, but were given limited room for maneuver. In both special administrative areas, the polarization between the pro-democracy camp (Hong Kong) or pro-democracy camp (Macau) and the pro-Beijing camp (Hong Kong) or pro-Beijing camp (Macau) cannot be overlooked. Between 1917 and in 2018 71 parties emerged in Hong Kong and 25 in Macau.

literature

  • Chao, Linda / Myers, Ramon Hawley: The First Chinese Democracy: Political Life in the Republic of China on Taiwan . Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore - London, 1998, ISBN 9780801856501
  • Fukui, Haruhiro: Political Parties of Asia and the Pacific . Vol. 1, Greenwood Press, Westport / Connecticut-London, 1985.
  • Jeans, Roger B .: China Democratic League . In: Fukui, Political Parties of Asia and the Pacific, Vol. 1, pp. 168 ff.
  • Jeans, Roger B .: Chinese Democratic Socialist Party . In: Fukui, Political Parties of Asia and the Pacific, Vol. 1, p. 212 ff.
  • Nathan, Andrew J .: Anfu Club . In: Fukui, Political Parties of Asia and the Pacific, Vol. 1, pp. 163 ff.
  • Nathan, Andrew J .: Constitution Research Society . In: Fukui, Political Parties of Asia and the Pacific, Vol. 1, pp. 236 f.
  • Olenik, J. Kenneth: Third Party . In: Fukui, Political Parties of Asia and the Pacific, Vol. 1, pp. 255 ff.
  • Olenik, J. Kenneth: Young China Party . In: Fukui, Political Parties of Asia and the Pacific, Vol. 1, pp. 263 ff.
  • Polter, Stefan B .: China Association for the Promotion of Democracy . In: Fukui, Political Parties of Asia and the Pacific, Vol. 1, pp. 165 ff.
  • Polter, Stefan B .: China Democratic National Construction Party . In: Fukui, Political Parties of Asia and the Pacific, Vol. 1, pp. 171 ff.
  • Polter, Stefan B .: Jiusan Society . In: Fukui, Political Parties of Asia and the Pacific, Vol. 1, pp. 238 ff.
  • Polter, Stefan B .: National Salvation Association . In: Fukui, Political Parties of Asia and the Pacific, Vol. 1, pp. 244 ff.
  • Polter, Stefan B .: Revolutionary Committee of the Guomindang . In: Fukui, Political Parties of Asia and the Pacific, Vol. 1, pp. 247 ff.
  • Polter, Stefan B .: Taiwan Democratic Self-Government League . In: Fukui, Political Parties of Asia and the Pacific, Vol. 1, pp. 253 ff.
  • Tokuda, Noriyuki: Chinese Communist Party , In: Fukui, Political Parties of Asia and the Pacific, Vol. 1, pp. 182 ff.
  • Tsai, Shih-Shan Henry: Society to Protect the Emperor , In: Fukui, Political Parties of Asia and the Pacific, Vol. 1, pp. 251 ff.
  • Weyrauch, Thomas: China's Democratic Traditions from the 19th Century to the Present in Taiwan . Longtai, Heuchelheim 2014, ISBN 978-3-938946-24-4
  • Weyrauch, Thomas: The party landscape of East Asia . Longtai, Heuchelheim 2018, ISBN 978-3-938946-27-5
  • Weyrauch, Thomas: Minority parties and groups of the People's Republic of China . Longtai, Heuchelheim 2020, ISBN 978-3-938946-30-5
  • Weyrauch, Thomas: Political Lexicon East Asia . Longtai, Heuchelheim 2019, ISBN 978-3-938946-28-2
  • Yamada, Tatsuo: China . In: Fukui, Political Parties of Asia and the Pacific, Vol. 1, p. 155.
  • Yamada, Tatsuo: Chinese Nationalist Party . In: Fukui, Political Parties of Asia and the Pacific, Vol. 1, pp. 214 ff.
  • Zheng, Yongnian: The Chinese Communist Party as Organizational Emperor: Culture, Reproduction and Transformation . Routledge, London - New York, 2010, ISBN 978-0415559652

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Yamada: China , p. 155 ff .; Weyrauch, "The Party Landscape of East Asia", pp. 130 ff., 380 f.
  2. ↑ Weyrauch, The Party Landscape of East Asia , p. 380; Weyrauch, Politisches Lexikon Ostasien , pp. 14, 68, 79, 245, 264; Tsai: Society to Protect the Emperor , pp. 251 ff.
  3. ^ Weyrauch, The Party Landscape of East Asia , pp. 255 f .; Weyrauch, Politisches Lexikon Ostasien , pp. 130, 255 f .; Nathan: Constitution Research Society , p. 236 f; Yamada: Chinese Nationalist Party , pp. 214 ff.
  4. ↑ Nathan, Anfu Club, S. 163 ff .; Weyrauch, Chinas Democratic Traditions , pp. 103 ff .; Weyrauch, The Party Landscape of East Asia , pp. 136 ff., 380; Tokuda, Chinese Communist Party , p. 182.
  5. ^ Jeans, China Democratic League , pp. 168 ff; Weyrauch, The Party Landscape of East Asia , pp. 144 ff., 157 f., 380; Weyrauch, Politisches Lexikon Ostasien , pp. 255 f., 263; Olenik, Third Party , pp. 255 ff .; Yamada, Chinese Nationalist Party , pp. 214 ff.
  6. ↑ Yamada, China , p. 155; Yamada, Chinese Nationalist Party , pp. 214 ff .; Weyrauch, The Party Landscape of East Asia , p. 158 ff .; Weyrauch, Politisches Lexikon Ostasien , p. 256 f .; Chao / Myers, The First Chinese Democracy , pp. 21 ff., 103 ff .; Jeans, Chinese Democratic Socialist Party , p. 212 ff .; Olenik, Young China Party , p. 263 ff.
  7. ↑ Yamada, Chinese Nationalist Party , pp. 214 ff .; Weyrauch, The Party Landscape of East Asia , p. 161 ff .; Weyrauch, Politisches Lexikon Ostasien , pp. 129, 256 f.
  8. ^ Zheng, The Chinese Communist Party as Organizational Emperor , pp. 98 ff .; Weyrauch, The Party Landscape of East Asia , p. 225 ff .; Weyrauch, Politisches Lexikon Ostasien , pp. 12 f., 253 f .; Weyrauch, Minority Parties and Groups of the People's Republic of China , pp. 89 ff., 287 ff .; Polter, China Association for the Promotion of Democracy , pp. 165 ff .; Polter: China Democratic National Construction Party , p. 171 ff .; Polter: Jiusan Society , p. 238 ff .; Polter: National Salvation Association , p. 244 ff .; Polter: Revolutionary Committee of the Guomindang , p. 247 ff .; Polter: Taiwan Democratic Self-Government League , p. 253 ff.
  9. ↑ Weyrauch, "The Party Landscape of East Asia", p. 236 ff.
  10. ↑ Weyrauch, "The Party Landscape of East Asia", p. 246 ff .; Spiegel from June 30th, 2020, [1] .

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